Reply #15: there are definitely some things that have changed. [View All]

sure, democrats referred to nixon as "tricky dick", and carter certainly got dumped on.

but the senate generally deferred to the president in terms of appointments, unless egregious, whereas nowadays they delay and deny everything they can.

i certainly don't recall television referring to nixon as just "nixon", without the "president" in front of it.

and when was the last time someone interrupted a state of the union speech to shout, "you lie"?

prior to reagan, the loyal opposition was the LOYAL opposition. it felt like we were on the same team but if you were the "out" party, it was simply the other side's turn to be the "in" party. you voiced your objections, but you respected the will of the voters and you waited your turn.

reagan (and perhaps more so, gingrich) brought in an attitude that democrats were the ENEMY, and we now have a culture where anything and everything the president does is disparaged and derailed and delayed and denied and insulted and sneered at, regardless of whether or not it's a good idea.

that certainly wasn't the way it was when nixon or ford or even carter was president.